Music must be seen to be heard

This is to take nothing away from the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra but when you bring in a globe-trotting virtuoso I think it’s fair to say all eyes will be on them. That was certainly the case Saturday night in the Winspear Centre.

The ESO got to take the spotlight for two pieces; Haydn‘s Symphony No. 88 in G Major and Stravinsky‘s Symphony of Wind Instruments (1947), the latter of which, of course, featured only the woodwinds and brass.

I will admit to raiding iTunes for versions of everything to be played Saturday. This gave me a sense of what I was to hear.

Seeing the ESO play, however, gave me what the music was really about.

I especially felt this in the opening symphony from Haydn. There was more energy in the piece than my iPod had shown. I think some of this was thanks to conductor William Eddins bouncing and happily moving at the most exciting parts.

But the symphony really pushed this music out to the corners of the Winspear. The 3rd movement’s swells, and calls and answers, brought out this energy and I could feel it in my chest. Even one of the trumpet players, when not engaged in the music, was quietly swaying and bopping his head.

Eddins is nothing if not able to work a crowd. He was sure to include some timely Olympic jokes and references in his conversation with the audience. He got a round of applause when telling the story of Slovenian skier who broke four ribs and collapsed a lung but still won a bronze medal. He got laughs when trying to update us on the games, finding only a never-ending curling match on TV.

He got more, polite, laughs when he had to leave the stage before Stravinski’s Wind Instruments because he had forgotten his music. It worked out, putting a smile on people’s faces before a grimmer piece of music. As the ESO describes it: “The work’s unusual scoring lends the work certain steely edge – as does the use of the many silences throughout its brief duration.”

Indeed, this was not music for everyone’s ears or tastes. The brass and woodwind players seemed pleased to have performed it for us and took their final bow of the night with smiles of their own.

They left the stage, and the strings returned for the final piece of the night, Piazzolla‘s Four Seasons of Buenos Aries.

But, I’ve gotten just a bit ahead of myself. Before the intermission there was also a Bartok piece called Rhapsody No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra. This was where the ESO audience got their first listen of the evening of the guest violinist, Karen Gomyo.

Gomyo’s everything the ESO could want in a guest performer. She’s young, world-renowned, attractive, plays a rare Stradivarius and, more specifically for a local symphony, she’s Canadian. She was born in Japan and moved to Montreal as a child.

My first bit of Googling turned up this blog about Gomyo’s violin, the Stradivarius known as “ex-Foulis.” I like that she’s plunking it in the overhead bin when she’s on an airplane.

And clearly the owner of the violin, whom we know only as a “private sponsor,” wanted such an instrument in the hands of an equally stunning beauty.

The interplay between Gomyo and conductor William Eddins was a treat to watch. I found it echoed the Bartok piece, which had some sounds of joy but with a constant seriousness. She would smile, or almost-smile, at points, but retain a concentrated look. Eddins too would smile, but return his focus to the orchestra. The two were having fun, but gave the music their full respect.

While the Bartok piece had its more formal tone, the Four Seasons of Buenos Aries was music of culture and passion. For those savvy about such things (Again, I had to download everything for a first listen.), it does play off Vivaldi‘s Four Seasons at certain points. That’s thanks to the man who arranged this version, Russian composer Leonid Desyatnikov. Most notably the “winter” and “summer” of Vivaldi are found in the opposite of Piazzolla, referencing Argentine and Italian seasons.

The worldly air is not missed in the music. It has European feel, yet encompasses much of the tango-infused Argentina of the writer, Astor Piazzolla.

This piece is where I was assured I hadn’t thought too much of the exquisite violin or the player. This final performance of the night elicited whispers of “Wow,” “Amazing,” and “Impressive,” from those seated around me in the orchestra level. Those whispers transformed to an almost instant burst of applause as the final notes of Buenos Aries trailed. Now the mention of Gomyo’s fantastic abilities were said aloud, though paled in volume to the noise of the standing ovation.

The best part of reviewing such an amazing musician, and evening, is not that I get to tell you about how great it was. The best part is that Karen Gomyo is not waiting another two years to return to Edmonton.

As Eddins announced to the crowd Saturday, Gomyo will be back to open the ESO’s next season at their Symphony Under the Sky. She will be playing Brahams one evening and participating in music of movies the next. If her enthusiasm during Four Seasons of Buenos Aries is anything, I know her performance of the tango from “Scent of a Woman” will fill Edmonton hearts with passion this September long weekend.

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This was premiere ESO performance of two pieces; the Symphonies of Wind Instruments and Four Seasons of Buenos Aries.

You don’t have to wait for Karen Gomyo and ex-Foulis to return to hear more tango-infused passion from the ESO, they’ve got “Musica Latina” on March 21.